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For the right to be called the seller of the original Finlandia moonshine stills, LLC Russtor LTD in Moscow (sites with the name finkapro) and LLC Alliance in Kirov (finlyandia online stores, as well as their numerous dealers) have long been fighting. The scheme is classic: cube-super steamer-serpentine. It is this design, embodied in stainless steel, that corresponds to the ideas of beginners about the right moonshine still, and the legend of true Finnish quality contributes to market promotion.
Another player appeared, who previously kept in the shadow of the battle between Russtor LTD and Alliance LLC, the dealer of Tekhmaterik LLC, which declared itself as a manufacturer of Finlandia moonshine stills (finlandia-extra website). Being the official representative of “Schnapser” in Moscow, the company released a new moonshine “Finland Extra 2018” and its twin brother – “Schnapser Extra 18”. This brought Techmaterik to the forefront of the struggle for “real Finnish quality”, and at the same time German quality. The device has become a serious competitor to all similar models.
Distillation cube
From its predecessors, “Schnapser (Finland) Extra” differs primarily in a new cube with a capacity of 12, 15 or 20 liters with a cone-shaped top, which improves the performance during the distillation of fruit and other strongly foaming brews.
The cube is equipped with a thermometer in the steam zone, an overpressure valve and a cock for draining the stillage. The wide mouth makes it easy to wash the cube. The declared sheet thickness – 2 mm is sufficient for such a design. In addition, the bottom is reinforced with a stiffener.
And most importantly: there is a clamp on the lid of the cube! This is a blow below the belt to all competitors who are still welding the side to the lid. Thanks to the clamp, you can attach a 40 mm drawer or any other equipment to the cube. One and a half inches is the standard size, which means that by purchasing this distiller, in the future it can be developed to any level. Many nodes are available from the manufacturer as an option. But more on that later…
The characteristics of the distillation cube are indicated in the table.
| cube volume (l) | bottom diameter (mm) | height (mm) |
| 12 | 234 | 300 |
| 15 | 262 | 300 |
| 20 | 262 | 390 |
The permissible heating power, which does not lead to uncontrolled foaming, is more than one and a half times higher than the operating power corresponding to the bulk volume. This is a good result.
Bulk volume. For a 12 liter cube with a bottom area of 430 sq. cm and a vapor space of 12 cm produces 7,7 liters. Let’s check the rest of the cubes: the bottom area is 539 square meters. cm, for a 15 liter bulk volume – 9,7 liters, for a 20 liter – 14,5 liters. This means that the classical proportion of filling the cube by 2/3 is observed.
The cube is designed and completed competently. It seems that it is from a completely different weight category than the device itself.
Disadvantages of a cube
one). The cube is unsuitable for heating on an induction hob (AISI 1 steel). The device “Finland (Schnapser) Extra” is sharpened for obtaining moonshine on a gas stove: the dimensions are designed for an exhaust hood, and the power of the refrigerator is sufficient for one burner. But if we talk about upgrading the device to RK or BC, then the gas stove becomes inappropriate.
2). A bimetallic thermometer in the vapor zone narrows the scope of the cube: it is suitable for distillation on gas, but for a beer or distillation column, you must have at least an electronic thermometer and a sleeve for it below the waterline – in the liquid zone.
In addition, the description says that the device is equipped with a Schnapser bimetallic thermometer, in fact, domestic TB-100-1 is installed on all the images on the manufacturer’s website. But here you can not be upset, the thermometer has an accuracy class of 1,5 and is popular due to its cheapness. Apparently, the accuracy of up to ± 2 ° C suits the manufacturer.
3). To increase convenience and a better aesthetic appearance, the metal lamb fastening the lid could be replaced with similar ones with a plastic case.
Nozzle
The devices “Schnapser Extra 18” and “Finland Extra 2018” are equipped with the now fashionable Panchenkov nozzle. One would like to ask the manufacturer: “Do you put the tap changer into all the free holes or is there still some kind of system?”. There is an answer on the manufacturer’s website: “When the mash evaporates, alcohol evaporates first. Thanks to the arcuate tube, the phlegm flows back into the cube and, therefore, the concentration of alcohol at the outlet will be higher than in devices with an angled outlet tube design.
Gentlemen, producers, you will have to be disappointed, when the mash evaporates, the contents do not line up in the order of the queue. Everything evaporates in proportion to the rectification coefficients: water, alcohols and other impurities. The arcuate tube is a weak dephlegmator. With the existing dimensions, the heat loss on it will be about 15 W, i.e. the tube will only condense about 1% of the steam passing through it, and not 80%, as in the beer column dephlegmator. This does not make it possible to seriously talk about phlegm and strengthening moonshine.
That’s not all. When heated with a power of more than 1,5 kW, the steam velocity in the arcuate tube will be large enough to blow off all the phlegm formed there into the steamer, directly along a smooth arc. The manufacturer does not stop at this and offers for the modernization of the device in an additional configuration 45 cm drawers clogged with a Panchenkov nozzle. There is not a single dephlegmator in the system, but according to the manufacturer, it is not needed!
Quote from the official website “Finland Extra 2018 (Schnapser Extra 18): “The principle of operation. After heating in the cube of the moonshine still, alcohol-containing vapors rise into the pipe (string), where they come into contact not only with the walls, as in classical distillation, but also with the surface of the nozzle, giving some of the heat to the wire. As a result, fusel oils and other impurities with a high boiling point condense and flow back into the cube along the walls of the tsarga in the form of phlegm (liquid), and the alcohol vapors, purified from part of the harmful impurities, continue to move to the cooler, where they condense and fall into the receiving container in the form of moonshine “.
In fact, the steam gives off heat to the nozzle only in the first minutes, then the nozzle heats up and an equilibrium temperature is established inside the apparatus. No condensation occurs. Unless, of course, the manufacturer has invented an eternal reflux condenser, which, like a black hole, is ready to suck in any amount of energy without giving anything back to the environment. In this case, you need to urgently apply for the Nobel Prize.
The nozzle is only an additional surface for heat and mass transfer processes. Without steam entering it on the one hand and a strictly metered amount of phlegm from the reflux condenser (which is not in the apparatus) on the other, it is useless!
Sukhoparnik and refrigerator
Finlandia Extra 2018 (Schnapser Extra 18) has a collapsible sukhoparnik with a reflux drain valve and an internal bar that facilitates the placement of flavors. Thanks to this, the steamer is easier and safer to use as an aroma basket. No complaints.
According to the manufacturer, in comparison with previous models of devices, the refrigerator received an enlarged coil, but 7 turns are enough for only one gas stove burner, but there is no need to talk about high capacities.
Additional equipment
Reading on the manufacturer’s website about the possibility of upgrading the device “Finland Extra 2018 (Schnapser Extra 18), you involuntarily begin to think that these sellers are from a parallel world where completely different laws of physics work.
With the installation of an additional drawer of 45 cm and obtaining drinks with a strength of up to 96% without a dephlegmator, we have already figured it out. But what is the cost of installing a diopter to monitor the phlegm flowing down in a classic distiller. Or a second sukhoparnik, completely duplicating the functions of the first. And even better – all at once, why – it is not clear, but if you call a neighbor, he will die of envy and admiration for the manufacturability of the design, although the quality of moonshine does not increase.
Through the diopter it will be possible to observe only the ejection of foam, there is simply no return flow of alcohol, since there is no dephlegmator. An additional sukhoparnik will protect against splashes from the cube, but it will not give cleaning from impurities.
You can put a diopter together with an additional dry steamer on a classic distiller only out of great respect for the manufacturer and touching care for his pocket.
Of course, due to the additional cooling area, heat loss will increase and the amount of wild phlegm will increase. This will give a small strengthening of a few percent, but is it worth putting so many additional knots for this? It will turn out only strengthening without the slightest purification from impurities (only water is removed, but not harmful substances), all the same, then this strong moonshine will have to be diluted to a drinking fortress. It is much cheaper to put one empty drawer side 50 cm high, which will give about the same results in both splash protection and reinforcement.
Overall, we are seeing a clumsy attempt to use existing parts from Schnapser to increase the attractiveness of buying a 2018 Finlandia Extra. From the point of view of the consumer, it is not clear why this should be done, since the device is absolutely self-sufficient.
Conclusions and upgrade options
In general, if we discard the manufacturer’s fantasies about obtaining pure 96% alcohol in a distiller and the desire to sell absolutely unnecessary diopters and a second steamer, the Finland Extra 2018 (Schnapser Extra 18) device is not bad, quite competitive among the mass of analogues. Suitable for beginners who decide to master distillation from simple to complex.
Thanks to the clamp connection, it is easy to install more advanced equipment on the cube. For example, a column from the proposed optional equipment, but you need to understand that the column is used instead of a moonshine still, and not as an additional accessory. All accessories offered by the manufacturer for the column are logical and justified.
Reviewed by IgorGor.